Halloween Ghost Story Contest -- 2002
Elementary School Winners

First Place

How does a category drop from around a hundred entries to just one entry in a single year? We don't know, but this year we have just one winning elementary school entry. Our elementary school winning story was written by Adriana Lopes who attends the fourth grade at the Franklin School in Wakefield. Since she also won last year's contest, she is the first repeat winner at the Elementary School level and the second repeat winner from the Town of Wakefield.

Unbridled Fear

byAdriana B. Lopes

Do you believe in legends? If you do you will never forget the one that I am about to tell you. The date is about 40 years ago on Halloween night and the story takes place in an old New England town. A ten-year old bully named Charlie Frumpmeyer was up to his old Halloween tricks. Charlie would throw goose eggs at the old red school house then steal all the well earned treats from the neighrborhood kids. Unfortunately one of those kids, was Christian Johanson.

Christian was also 10 years old but unlike Charlie he was a quiet boy and did not play with other children.

Christian unhappy with his lost treats after Charlie's candy raid, went to sit down on Devil's rock at the edge of Eerie woods. That Halloween night Eerie woods glowed green as the fog got thicker and thicker. A noise that sounded like a horse in danger came from beyond the big pine trees.

Christian loved horses having grown up on a farm so he follwed the horse's calls into Eerie woods. After many steps Christian came upon the most beautiful horse in a clearing. The horse was snow white from mane to hoof and had eyes of hazel. The horse seemed to be caught in an old hunters claw trap and was very scared. Christan freed the white horse expecting her to run free, but the horse just stood and stared at Christian in the most peculiar way as if she belonged to him. Christian stroked the white silky mane of the horse and realized the two belonged together. As Christian was about to mount the beautiful horse a noise arose from the black woods. Suddenly a horrible creature came into the clearing. The monster had many eyes and dripped of green ooze. The creature began to run towards Christian and the horse snorting like an old pig. Christian hopped on the back of the white horse and galloped as fast as the horse could run but the monster followed close behind. Suddenly the horrible creature spoke,

"Magic pebble,I'm the Devil,Stay on your course,Or I will have your horse."

Christian wet from his tears knew the devilish monster would catch him if he kept going through the woods so he turned the horse quickly towards Deadman's swamp. Christian thought if this creature was truly the devil then it would be afraid of the cool swamp water. As Christian and the horse made their way slowly through the stinky mud and water the creature spoke once more,

"Magic pebble,I'm the Devil,You do the mathAnd make me a path."

As Christian and the horse made it to the other side of the swamp the ground began to shake and huge rocks arose above the swamp. The devilish creature hopped slowly on each rock one by one towards Christian and the horse. Christian quickly drove the white horse towards the birght Halloween moon not knowing what was ahead. The devil beast began to laugh as Christian and his white horse came to a cliff at the edge of a quarry. Trapped and frightened the devil creature snorting fire and green ooze slowly moved towards them. Christian asked the creature why did he want him and his horse. The devil monster answered in a low hoarse voice, "I am the Devil, the Demon of all those who are evil for I have come to make a deal with The. Your soul for the horses life that is all I need." Christian with his good heart loved his new snow-white friend and began to agree to give into the devilish deal until another horrible creature arose from the bushes.

This creature was far more disgusting than the devil creature and in fact made the devil creature jump back in fear.

As Christan and the white horse jumped and screamed with fright the new monster moved closer. This creature although small and round had a face of milk chocolate brown and teeth to match. When the beast spoke the your spine would tingle painfully and your eyes would twitch with fear. The stench of this beast was like rotten goose eggs and to look at this monster for too long would sure blind you with fear.

Yet this new creature was the bully Charlie Frumpmeyer and he was living high on chocolate and candied apples. Charlie moved toward the devil creature and yelled "That horse is my horse and any deal that was made is my deal and I want my deal now." The devil creature first whimpered then snickered in delight. Christian pleaded with Charlie to not make the deal but Charlie took another bite of his Hershey's bar and shoved Christian to the cold ground.

Charlie again yelled to the devil creature to make the deal with him because the snow-white horse was his. The devil creature fiendishly agreed and Charlie jumped for joy. Charlie then greedily asked, "Now what do I get from this deal." The devil creature began to eerily laugh as a bright bolt of lightning split the October night and surrounding Charlie and the devil creature throwing them both over the quarry's cliff into the blackness of the night never to be seen again.

As for the devil creature his eerie laugh can be heard on Halloween night from the edge of Eerie woods.